Ricardo Chavira Chicano

My Family and The Border

More than fifty of my relatives were undocumented migrants. Despite lacking permission to live in the United States, they did not fear apprehension of deportation. All were natives of Mexico, and most left their homeland as adults or adolescents.

Their offspring and descendants never questioned their right to forge new lives in this country. My great-grandfather, Jesus Chavira, began the exodus in 1871 when, as a 14-year-old orphan, he put down roots in West Texas.

Every other relative left during the Mexican Revolution of 1910 or in the mid-1920s. Some fled the violence the revolution brought. They were war refugees, but there was no need to seek asylum. Having left behind farmland and businesses, my ancestors learned to survive and prosper in the United States.

Why did none of these Mexicans concern themselves with their illegal immigration status?  

There are a few answers.

First, the border was open. American officials only tracked migrants arriving by boat; people could move informally across the border by land. 

Secondly, Mexican laborers were recruited to work in mines, farms, and railroads. Employers acknowledged that Mexicans would work cheaply.

The American government established border control starting in 1924 in response to the massive migration from Mexico. It is estimated that   600,000 to one million refugees fled to the United States due to the violence of the revolution.

The U.S. census showed Mexican immigrants tripling from 200,000 to 600,000 between 1910 and 1930, with the actual number possibly greater.

However, the influx was not viewed as a crisis or a matter of national security.

There are lessons here.

The migrants did not become a problem.

My family and ancestors added thousands of productive citizens to this nation. They include soldiers who saw combat, entrepreneurs, teachers, police officers, a real estate magnate, and workers of all types.

Some, like me, are bicultural and bilingual. The United States is our native land. Mexico is our ancestral homeland. We love both countries.

The rise of xenophobia and the mean-spirited enforcement of immigration laws and procedures dismay me. This ugliness is the true danger, not people.